


my lovely trophy

by maple_63538462



Series: my little trophy [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angry TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Bad Ending, Everything is platonic!, Evil Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), No Beta read we die like men, Other, Phil is a shit dad, blaze powder flavor, technoblade is not phil's son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maple_63538462/pseuds/maple_63538462
Summary: based on a comic by arlekinnotclown on instagram! read it here:https://www.instagram.com/p/CKt7XpVlzVn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkthe idea for this au belongs completely and entirely to arlekinnotclown.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"my little tommy, I so want to see every emotion on your face... happiness, heartbreak, everything. I want to see you suffer."or a 'bad end' au where dream killed tubbo in the trophy room and told everyone tommy did it.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------READ NOTES FOR TRIGGER WARNINGS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: my little trophy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170680
Comments: 103
Kudos: 597





	1. Shock

**Author's Note:**

> author's note: this work will contain themes of death, graphic violence, panic attacks, manipulation, suicidal ideation, and themes of insanity. if these are triggering, do not read.

<><><><><><>

A raw, guttural scream echoed through the blackstone chamber. The pain and sorrow in their voice seemed to swallow up, eclipse everything around them.

Tommy couldn't tell who's scream it was. All he saw was red; red coating the floor, his hands, his best friend's body. Warm red liquid seemed to seep endlessly, like a gruesome waterfall painting the floor... He held Tubbo in his arms, the boy limp and bleeding bright red all over his clothes. Tommy looked around frantically; eyes darting, searching, for something, anything, anything that could somehow bring back the smiling brunette that lay like a doll in his arms.

"Come on Tubbo, open your eyes, we've got to get out of here," Tommy paused as heard someone let out a horrible sob, "get up, we've got to go, Tubbo please-". Tommy knew that he had to stop the bleeding somehow, but there was just so much blood. Tubbo laid limp, a gaping slash across his chest that stained his green shirt a dark brown. Dream stood behind the two a few paces back, staring at the back of his hand with mild interest. Tommy didn't notice any of it. He held his best friend, his Tubbo, closer and sobbed.

He didn't notice as Dream dropped his bloody sword at Tommy's side with a loud clang. He didn't notice as Dream stepped back to the elevator, didn't notice as Dream spoke a hushed whisper into his communicator.

"Awesamdude, come to my coordinates," Dream muttered, "Tommy did something horrible. You've got to come quickly, I'll explain when you get here." Dream looked up from his hand and took in the sight of his lovely trophy, Tommy, screaming and babbling to a still-warm dead body. It wasn't like it mattered anyway. All he had to do at this point was wait.

As if on cue, the elevator began to lower as a creeper hybrid stood in the center of the platform. Though his face was covered by a mask, there was a visible look of horror in his eyes as the trophy room came into view. The man hopped down from the elevator before it reached the bottom and ran over to Dream.

"Dream, what happened? This is awful, wh-what happened down here??" Awesamdude couldn't take his eyes off the boy in the center of the room, but he looked up to glance at Dream. He usually tended to mask his emotions; he was the Warden, for prime's sake... but he couldn't keep the raw emotions from showing on his face.

"You're just in time, Sam.. I told Tommy that he could choose between Tubbo and the discs... I didn't realize he'd actually make a choice. Clearly you can see which one he chose." the latter replied with a trembling laugh. "What's your plan for him? That was Tubbo's last life." Whether his tone was genuine or not, Sam couldn't tell. 

"Well," Sam began with an exhale, "he murdered Tubbo. You'll have to provide testimony as the only witness in court. Unless Tubbo comes back as a ghost, in which case we could set the record straight right then and there."

"Yeah, I guess... but if you wait, you'd be letting a murderer run free. It's not even guaranteed that Tubbo will come back.. I mean, Schlatt didn't." Dream stated. He turned to glance at Tommy, still curled over Tubbo's body and whispering to him. Tubbo's eyes were still open, his gaze glassy and unfocused and facing the ceiling.

"Are you sure it was Tommy? I-prime, I just can't imagine he'd do something like this.. to Tubbo, no less." Sam ran through all the possibilities in his head. Someone couldn't have tunneled or teleported in, they were at y-level 5, no windows or holes in the walls or ceiling. Someone could have used the portal, but that was highly unlikely. Who would have any reason to kill Tubbo? The sweet brunette who took care of bees and used to fall asleep in his office, slumped over mountains of paperwork? The boy who built Snowchester for the sole purpose of escaping the conflict following L'manberg's destruction? The boy who gave up two lives for his friends, his family, and wouldn't hesitate to do it a third time?

"I'm telling you," Dream pleaded, "it was Tommy. The sword he used is beside him, that's Tubbo's blood on the blade. I was just toying with him, I told him either Tubbo or the discs, but I was planning to give them back. The discs are right over there." Dream said as he pointed to the gold-plated floor, Cat and Mellohi on either side of the portal in their own item frames. "I was going to give them back. You know all I wanted was to end the conflict on this server, and that's what I was going to do. But Tommy stole my sword and used it to strike him down." 

Awesamdude's eyes followed Dream's gaze to the gold platforms. He realized that the true discs were indeed there, just sitting on the floor for free pickings. He stepped away from Dream and approached Tommy, who had stopped whispering to himself. The boy simply stared at the body in his arms, which had surely cooled by now. His gaze seemed unfocused, as if watching some other world that Sam couldn't see.

"Tommy, hey.." Sam tried, stepping into Tommy's field of vision. Tommy didn't seem to register that Sam was even there. The blonde's gaze was unrelenting, now focused on a spot on the floor. "Tommy, I need you to talk to me. I've gotta know what happened here." 

Tommy let out a heartbreaking whimper. His eyes were red and swollen, and Sam assumed that the boy had screamed his voice raw.

Suddenly, Tommy moved. It wasn't a large movement, just Tommy's head turning as he slowly glanced at the sword that had materialized at his side. He didn't seem to recognize it as he turned and buried his face into the crook of Tubbo's neck. No more sounds came from either boy, but Tommy's shoulder's were visibly shaking.

Sam knew that Dream was right. He couldn't let a murderer run free, and there couldn't possibly be any other evidence to prove that Tommy hadn't killed Tubbo. He knew that most of the SMP members were present on the Prime Path to say their goodbyes, and the others wouldn't have any reason to kill Tubbo or even be here. Every circumstance that Sam ran in his head ended in the same scenario: Tommy was guilty. He couldn't fathom the idea of punishing a child under jurisdiction of the law, the thought that he'd have to do so made him sick to his stomach. But he was the Warden, and everyone was equal under the eyes of Justice.

<><><><><><>


	2. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's in denial, and rightfully so.  
> Sam's in denial but can't afford to let him go free.  
> Dream's in denial that his ploy actually worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's note: this work contains themes of death, graphic violence, panic attacks, manipulation, suicidal ideation, and themes of insanity. if these are triggering, do not read.

<><><><><><>

Sam couldn't believe what had happened. The emotional side of his brain screamed that something was wrong, that it didn't make sense, that it wasn't right. But the logical side of his brain, ever the devil's advocate, simply couldn't think of another alternative.

With a gentle yet firm hand, Sam began to pull Tommy to his feet. There hadn't been any movement from the blonde yet other than the occasional shift in position, but now he struggled ferally. The boy tore himself from Sam's grasp and collapsed to the floor again, clinging to Tubbo like he was his lifeline, whispering and sobbing "not again, not again, not again,"-

It tore Sam's heart to see him so small, so pitiful. As if the boisterous, cocky, downright rude teenager had suddenly been reverted to a small child, whimpering and hiccupping dryly into his dead friend's bloodstained shirt. Sam felt a lump forming in his throat that threatened to swallow him up, but he forced it down. He had to maintain his composure, no matter how hard it would be-

"Come on, Tommy. You've done enough, come with me now." Sam pulled Tommy up with both arms this time, using his foot to push both of them away from Tubbo as Tommy clawed and kicked, begging; trying to scream and shout and cry but only managing a hoarse whine. Behind them, where Sam couldn't see his face, Dream couldn't help but smile at the weight of all the compounding emotions that both faced: confusion, fear, rage, desperation... Dream drank it in and watched.

Dream knew that Sam was logical and serious, always thinking of new possibilities, new formulas in his head. It was almost laughable, watching the cogs turn in his brain as he was torn between comforting a victim or arresting a killer. 

Dream knew that Tommy was a child, always resorting to extremes, never a gray moment in between. Dream could almost see how Tommy was fighting, but inside was barely processing what was happening. Dream figured that Tommy probably hadn't even realized that he was fighting against Sam. Tommy continued to thrash like a wild animal in Sam's grip. Choked cries emitted from the boy as Sam stood firm, forcing him down just to receive a blow to the side of his face. It wasn't coordinated at all, but it startled Sam out of his stupor.

"NO!" Tommy finally managed to shout, vocal cords hoarse and scratchy from already being used beyond their limit. "NO, no! Dream, please, help me, we have to help Tubbo, he's dying, please-" He was cut off by Sam covering his mouth with his palm, which Tommy bit down on to free himself. Tommy twisted in Sam's grip to face Dream, who watched the scene with something akin to boredom. "DREAM! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME! TUBBO NEEDS ME, TUBBO NEEDS HELP! _PLEASE!_ "

But a shaking teenager was no match for a more experienced warrior, Dream noted, as Sam subdued Tommy with a merciful hit to knock him out. It would be easier to bring Tommy back to the SMP, where he would receive jurisdiction, if he were unconscious. Sam paused for a moment while lifting up Tommy, shocked at how alarmingly thin he was. It wasn't that he was malnourished, but he figured that he could count the boy's ribs if he lifted his shirt. Sam didn't try to, instead slinging Tommy over his shoulder like a bony sack of potatoes and began to walk to the portal. He looked back for a moment to see if Dream were coming, and nodded to him when the masked man lifted Tubbo's body ever-so-gently, carrying the deceased teenager bridal-style.

But the Warden didn't notice Dream picking up the sword from the ground with one hand, sheathing it with a faint 'click'.

<><><><><><>

It wasn't until they had reached the lava bridge into the solitary cell of Pandora's Box did Tommy finally awaken. Previously, Dream had explained the 'situation' to Quackity and Fundy, with the two ensuring that they would take care of the former president's body. They planned to have the funeral later that week, but of course Tommy wouldn't be able to attend from prison. Not that it mattered anyway, Dream figured, as he doubted anyone would want to see Tubbo's murderer at his own eulogy.

Before entering the second decon chamber, Sam had bound Tommy's wrists to ensure that he wouldn't be able to escape had he woke before they reached the cell. Dream had suggested it, although Sam found it to be a little ~~extreme~~ unnecessary. Even if Tommy did regain consciousness, the boy would be too weak to fight back anyway.

Sam glanced down at Tommy's face, loose strands of blonde hair obscuring most of it. He could assume that the bright blue twinkle was gone, replaced by a dull gray stare. Or perhaps an orange glint, as his eyes filled with the reflection of the boiling lava that stood before them.

The dull orange glow didn't seem too far-fetched of an idea, Sam thought. As if he could picture it clearly, the little blonde with molten fire in the reflection of his eyes...

No matter. Sam crossed over the lava pit and deposited Tommy in the middle of the cell, quickly undoing his ties for him. The blonde was definitely awake now, as he had turned to face Sam with the same dull look in his eyes as before.

He seemed to be muttering something to himself as he stared down at his hands, not moving from the spot Sam left him. The creeper hybrid kneeled down in front of Tommy and gently shook his shoulder with his hand.

"Hey, Tommy? Tommy?" He stopped shaking him, but kept his hand on the boy's shoulder.

No response. Sam inched closer to his side to see if he could catch what the boy was saying.

"No, no, Tommy, he's not dead. He's not, he couldn't be, Tubbo couldn't be dead. He-it was some kind of mistake, or a prank, or-" a pause to swallow down tears, "o-or some kind of joke, he's not dead. He's waiting for me in Snowchester, I've got to go meet him in Snowchester-he's there, yeah, he's just waiting for me, in Snowchester, he built that place himself, he wouldn't have died before he could finish it, no..." Tommy seemed frantic and yet calm, a spark seemed to remain behind his dull gaze. Albeit a spark on the verge of snuffing out.

"Tommy." A single word uttered caused the mentioned boy to look up. Another pause. "Tommy, he's not coming back.. Tubbo's dead, Tommy. He's not in Snowchester waiting for you, I'm sorry Tommy..." Sam tried again, meeting Tommy's eyes.

Sam couldn't tell if the boy was about to smile or cry or scream. "No, Sam... he's waiting for me in Snowchester, I've got to go see him, you see? He's there, I know it." Tommy replied stubbornly. "I've got to go, Sam. He needs me. He's waiting for me." Tommy's voice broke on the last word of his sentence and he began to hiccup dry sobs. "He's waiting for me, Sam! Tubbo's waiting for me!"

<><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for the support! the first chapter received more kudos overnight than I thought the entire fic would. 
> 
> I did say this chapter would be out later this week, but I got too excited to post it. Prepare for an irregular posting schedule.... I don't have enough self-control to do weekly posts.
> 
> if there's another DSMP fic prompt you'd like me to write after I finish this one, leave it in the comments! I'd love to write more and am open to ideas.
> 
> also, did you catch most of the allusions I was making in this chapter? to other prior streams, perhaps? :)
> 
> I definitely didn't cry while writing this chapter haha


	3. Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's awake, and he's angry.  
> The rest follows in suit.
> 
> please read the author's note for trigger warnings.
> 
> according to ao3 statistics, about 95% of my readers haven't checked out my new oneshot, so if you could just head on over and check if ao3 statistics are working that would be really poggers an-*fucking dies*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **⚠BIG TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER⚠**
> 
> **manipulation starts at "Those words seemed to be music..." & ends at "With just as much flourish..."**
> 
> **cursing throughout the fic (words such as shit, goddamn, etc.)**
> 
> **mentioned gore starts at "Tommy stepped..." & ends at "...continued to try."**
> 
> **be safe.**

<><><><><><>

"He's waiting for me, Sam! Tubbo's waiting for me!"

Tommy knew that Tubbo wasn't waiting for him. He'd been dumped on the floor of the cell a few hours prior, and after calming down a bit the information finally seemed to register. Tubbo was dead. Tubbo was dead, and Dream murdered him.

Dream murdered _his Tubbo,_ his best friend, and was somehow walking free. That part left Tommy totally dumbfounded when he awoke, and equally confused now.

That part, the fact that a manipulating, conniving, abusing, murdering, shark was somehow walking along the Prime Path without a care in the world, while HE was stuck in a maximum security cell, _for a crime he didn't commit,_ well...

...well that part, that was enraging.

Tommy couldn't sit still after coming to this conclusion. He paced the limited space of the cell, constantly ducking his head to avoid banging it against the ceiling and angering himself further. The lava blocking his escape, the water-filled hole in the ground, even the damn clock--

It was all a taunting reminder of everything he'd just lost to a literal homeless man with a stupid face and a stupid mask and a stupid story.

Tommy figured that Dream had probably told everyone he met his fabricated version of the truth. Of course they'd believe him, (Tommy scoffs aloud as he continues to think), because no one else was there, and Tubbo was dead, so there'd be no one to argue his case.

He considered getting Sam to set the record straight for him, then remembered how Sam was swayed so easily. Dream had everyone wrapped up oh-so-nicely around his little finger, every word he uttered was gobbled up by the ones entranced by him.

'What about Quackity?', argued one side of him. 'Quackity's never been easy to sway like that, his whole rep is 'trust no one'.'.

'But,' said another, 'Quackity trusted Schlatt in a heartbeat, and look where that got him! Where it got us!'

'Well, what about Ranboo? He's loyal to his friends, so he'd at least listen to me.'

'If he even remembers to come.', the more dismal side of his thoughts snarked. 'He's with The Blade and Dadz-Philza Minecraft now, so Dream probably won't even contact him at all. Those guys, even less likely. I doubt Philza will even come and visit us at all.'

That last thought caused a small lump to form in Tommy's throat. He shook his head to clear the jealousy he held towards Technoblade. 'Some dad, I guess friends are more important than your son and his brother.'.

Tommy pinched himself to stop the flow of thoughts before the dam holding them in burst. It wasn't the time to start cursing whatever gods were up there about his shitty childhood.

His thoughts wouldn't need much more interrupting, however, as the intercom suddenly buzzed to life.

"Hello Tommy, I hope you're feeling a little calmer now. I'm gonna send Dream over to check on you.", said Sam over the speakers. Tommy grumbled a 'yeah, yeah, heard you loud and clear' under his breath, cursing internally at how goddamn loud the speakers were. Really unnecessary.

He stood up and continued pacing again, this time watching the lava slowly stop dripping from the ceiling far above. The process was a lot slower than he thought it would be, so after a few moments he returned to pacing again.

Eventually he heard the sound of the bridge grinding to life and turned to watch Dream making his way across the gap. The rage he felt earlier bubbled to life again upon seeing the masked man, but he did his best to shove the rising tide back down.

Once Dream stepped into the obsidian box and the barrier fell and the lava went down again, only then did Tommy allow himself to glare daggers at the taller man. Dream only chuckled in amusement, which angered the blonde further.

"Dream." Tommy said curtly, stepping backwards into the cell to allow Dream a little more space to stand. Not by much, though.

"Oh, Tommy...", he began in that sickly-sweet tone of his, the one that sounded like poisoned honey and made him want to throw up. "D'you know how satisfying this is? How long I've waited, for this day to finally arrive?"

A shaky exhale, fists balled up tight and nails digging bright red crescents into the palms of his hands. "What do you want, Dream?"

A light, pleasant laugh. "What do I want? I wanna brag! I won! You got totally screwed over, I've got the discs, you're stuck in here, and now the SMP is finally at peace. Oh, and Tubbo's dead too, so now you're really stuck." Dream stepped closer to Tommy, leaning over him with those last couple of words. Tommy stepped back again.

"Tubbo's dead? Yeah, I know." Tommy scoffed. "You killed him."

__________

Those words seemed to be music to Dream's ears. Tommy couldn't see the man's face, but he could almost see the Cheshire-cat grin that slowly creeped its way onto the man's face, dripping in his tone. It was like the air around Dream had suddenly changed into something ugly and sinister. Tommy gulped nervously. "No, Tommy. Of course you wouldn't understand, you're nothing but a child."

Tommy stopped in his tracks. "What does that have to do with anything?", he snarled. He couldn't tell what Dream was playing at, but he was really getting tired of it. He did his best to hide his nervousness as the pressure in the air grew.

"It has everything to do with it. You're a little baby and that's why you don't get it, Tommy. I didn't kill Tubbo... You killed Tubbo." Dream said as if he were a parent correcting their child.

_Ah. So that's his game._

Another shaky exhale. Fists uncurled for a moment, before fingers clawed at empty air and he forced them back into fists. "I didn't kill Tubbo."

Dream tilted his head, smiley mask turning to the side but continuing to smile all the while. Taunting him. "Of course you did. You were-fuck, I bet you still are obsessed with the discs. You dragged him into so many wars for some stupid cheap plastic, and look where that got him. Six feet under in three day's time." Dream crossed his arms across his chest. "Of course you killed him. You can't blame me for things that were your own fault."

Dream stepped forward again. Tommy skirted around his side, back facing the boiling lava while Dream simply turned around. Tommy hated that his voice trembled when he spoke again. "I wasn't the one that ran him through with a sword." He spat.

Dream laughed again. One step forward. Tommy inched backwards. "Oh, but Tommy, my dear Tommy, it's okay! I understand you're angry and you're lashing out because you know you're guilty."

Dream suddenly breezed forward, poking the center of Tommy's chest with his index finger. He tapped it once, twice, lightly. Tommy's scowl grew deeper as he smacked Dream's hand away. Dream retracted his hand with flair before continuing to speak. "Honestly, I understand what you're feeling right now. But you killed Tubbo! It won't do you any good to deny it."

Tommy stepped backwards again. Throughout the conversation, his voice had turned to a low rumble. "I. Didn't. Kill. Tubbo." He growled, resisting the urge to punch Dream right between those stupid eyes on his stupid fucking mask. He instead opted to turn away and face the lava.

"You did though. You killed Tubbo." Dream called over his shoulder in a sing-song voice as he balled his fists up tighter, squinting his eyes shut to ignore Dream and the pounding headache that rampaged in his head--

A hand on his shoulder. Tommy whirled around and slammed them into the wall closest to him, chest heaving from the bottled-up rage that threatened to burst like a volcano. He drew his arm back and a blow landed on the side of Dream's jaw, knocking that damn mask off the fucker's face. Dream's eyes glittered with cold amusement.

Apart from his exposed face, Dream didn't seem affected at all. Tommy felt strong hands wrap themselves around his extended wrist and shoulder at a slow, leisurely speed. Dream twisted with a fluid grace and without warning Tommy suddenly felt his back collide harshly with the wall, as Dream pulled his wrist towards him while pushing Tommy back against the wall via the hand on his shoulder.

Tommy grunted from the sudden attack and used his free hand to try and pull Dream's hand off his shoulder, to no avail. The man's grip was strong as netherite. Dream shifted his hand to push the back of Tommy's wrist against the wall, no longer trying to actively press him against it but more so to hold him in place. Tommy couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in a disgusted face as Dream moved close to the side of Tommy's to whisper in his ear.

Tommy could see the side of Dream's face and the opposite wall behind him. He tried not to shudder upon feeling Dream's warm breath against his ear. His face contorted into a more disgusted expression as he continued to look forward; there was nowhere else to look.

Dream could see Tommy's icy-cold glare, but he could also see a glint of fear in the boy's eyes. Even after fighting in multiple wars, being backstabbed, betrayed, and dying twice-- Tommy was still a child at heart. And a child's heart and mind can be easily shaped, molded like a ball of clay.

"You killed Tubbo. You can't deny it anymore.". Dream smiled once more out of satisfaction when he realized that Tommy had stopped trying to resist, instead staring vacantly at a spot on the floor as fear became clearer and clearer in the boy's eyes. His work was done.

__________

With just as much flourish and speed as he had before, Dream released Tommy and leaned down to pick up his mask. Tommy remained frozen to the spot, rubbing the side of his neck where Dream's head had been moments before.

"Sam? You can send the bridge back over, I'm done here." Dream spoke into his communicator, before slipping the mask back onto his face.

The lava flow stopped, the barrier went up, and Dream stepped onto the bridge. "Goodbye, Tommy!" He waved with a cheerful voice, as Tommy glared. If looks could kill, Dream probably wouldn't be dead just because the man's, like, immortal or some shit.

The rage compounded, and Tommy's migraine grew stronger, and suddenly he was seeing red.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU GREEN BASTARD! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY!" Sam heard the boy shouting from across the gap.

Tommy stepped to the back of the cell and ran, vaulting over the barrier and sailing through the air. He couldn't jump far enough to reach the bridge, and fell into the lava below. Every death was pure agony, bones and flesh melting into goop instantly before being spit back out into a pool of water by a machine, but he continued to try.

"Don't worry, Dream," said Sam as Dream stepped back into the alcove, "there is no escaping from this place. He won't be going anywhere."

Sam lowered a lever on the wall. Tommy continued to shout as the lava began flowing freely. "I still can't believe he killed his best friend just because of some obsession with music discs." Sam commented absently, ignoring the pang in his chest as he did so. He was the Warden, for prime's sake.

"Yeah, it was horrible, wasn't it?" Dream replied as if the topic were nothing but small talk.

Finally, the last lava tile was in place. Sam began guiding Dream on the steps to exit the prison as Tommy shouted and threw himself into a wall of molten fire.

_"SAM! LET ME OUT!_

**_"SAM!!"_ **

<><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I think I'll kind of fall into a schedule of updates every 2-3 days from here on out, as I've got too much homework to write every day.
> 
> this chapter made me so angry, c!dream can go rot in Pandora's Box (oh wait.... >:] )
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, have a great day <3
> 
> also once again, check out the oneshot and maybe lmk what you think okay bye now :]


	4. Bargaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream pays Tommy another visit.  
> Tommy reaches for someone he can't see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's note: this work contains themes of death, graphic violence, panic attacks, manipulation, suicidal ideation, and themes of insanity. if these are triggering, do not read.
> 
> sorry that this chapter was late! I had a migraine yesterday and couldn't get out of bed. I'm gonna try to stick to writing every 3-4 days.
> 
> also, when this fic is done, don't think the entire au is done yet! I'm gonna post a director's cut of scenes I ended up not adding, so stay tuned for that!

<><><><><><>

After Dream left and Sam left him alone again, Tommy was furious. He'd thrown everything onto the floor in a fit of rage, tossed whatever he could pick up in his adrenaline-rushed state into the lava. He'd taken the clock from the wall and smashed it, stomped on it until it was nothing but a pile of crumpled metal. He'd pulled book after empty book out of the chest, gathered as many as he could carry in his arms, and thrown them all into the molten fire.

He knew that Sam was probably watching him on the cameras. He could almost imagine the apathetic look in the man's eyes as he brought Tommy his supply of raw potatoes and water. He could imagine Sam telling those that wanted to visit him, 'sorry, he's in a dangerous state right now, so I'm not letting anyone near him until he calms down.'

"Nobody'd want to visit me anyway, since apparently I'm a fuckin' murderer now." Tommy laughed bitterly as he flopped onto his back on the obsidian floor, cursing as his head hit the ground. He stared up at the mundanely black ceiling, wondering if Sam would come back to replace the items he'd destroyed as well. It turned out that burning and destroying inanimate things to let out steam had significant calming effects, although it left him breathless from the effort.

"Ah.. I probably shouldn't have tossed the books and the clock. This place is so fucking boring," Tommy muttered as he glanced over to where the chest was. He returned his gaze to the ceiling. "HEY SAM! CAN YOU BRING ME SOME MORE STUFF? THIS PLACE IS FUCKING BORING.", he shouted. 

"Oh, what's the point, that creeper bitch probably can't even hear me."

Tommy curled up on his side and began to trace the grooves in the smooth obsidian absently. He wished that Sam would've given him a bed, or at least a pillow or blanket to sleep on. The floor wasn't comfy in the slightest. It reminded him of when he slept on the stone floor in Pogtopia back when Schlatt was the president. He didn't have a bed then.

He didn't miss the narrow ravine. It was cramped and dark and cold, and when the only other inhabitant is your slightly-batshit-crazy older brother with pyromaniac tendencies, well... You feel significantly less attached to a place you spent almost 24 hours a day in.

Not that it mattered, anyway. He'd won, and then Dream decided he wanted more than just the discs, and then everything went south. Tommy grumbled wordlessly and shifted to stare at the ceiling again. He closed his eyes and continued to think.

How did Dream manage to convince everyone that he'd murdered Tubbo, anyway? Tubbo was his closest confidant, his right hand, his second half. Everyone on the server knew this. So how'd Dream do it? 

Tommy raised one of his hands and began counting the grievances, raising one finger at a time. 

'Well, everyone thinks I'm obsessed with the discs.' One finger down.  
'Everyone knows I've fought several wars for a couple pieces of plastic.' Two fingers.  
'Tubbo's never been so crazy about them.' A finger lowered halfway, then raised again.  
'I died twice in the L'manburg war.. but I died for L'manburg's freedom, not for the discs... although I did sacrifice the discs for L'manburg's freedom, so that would compound their value to me and Dream.' A third finger.

Tommy continued to think.

'And then there was our whole thing when we held Connor hostage, and our big fight at the Community House.' Two more fingers.

Tommy stared up at his raised hand, all five fingers extended. He turned it to look at the back of his hand, before dropping it back to his side with a sigh. There were probably more things, smaller evidences, but he couldn't think of them right now. 

But then everyone knew they were together when they walked down the Prime Path for the last time-- Tommy felt a lump in his throat grow when he thought of the Prime Path-- and everyone saw how they walked, heads held high but hands shaking. Two teenagers dressed for battle, ready to climb a mountain and fight a god, or die trying...

For them to both succeed was the best outcome. But some voice in Tommy's head, some corrupted, twisted voice, whispered that them both dying would have been miles better than whatever this was.

Tommy agreed, then shook his head to clear the thought. These kinds of things wouldn't help him at all.

<><><><><><>

It turned out that whatever Tommy destroyed, Sam would replace. It was the small graces that Tommy was grateful for. He'd begun to write in the books, delegating one for his thoughts, one for stories, one for his daily activities (of which there was barely any variation), and one to doodle and draw in. He found himself drawing Tubbo over and over again, although his art skills were sub-par he treasured the book anyway.

Every time he woke up, he wrote something in the book. Whether it was the same day or not, he wrote. Whenever Sam came in, he tried to talk to the man. Since Dream visited him, no one other than Sam had come for him. It was the small things that weighed him down. Each stone was small, put piled up onto his back they became great boulders that crushed him with every step.

He knew that his mental health was starting to decline. According to the books, he'd been in the cell for almost two weeks. Tack on an extra two days that passed before he started writing. He'd completely missed the funeral, and no one'd came to offer him their condolences. No one'd cared enough to come.

He'd started to regret things. He regretted killing Dream on the railway (although it was an accident), regretted being brash and abrasive and rude, regretted betraying Techno, regretted _finding those damn discs--_

The intercom buzzed. "Tommy, Dream's here to visit you. I'm sending him over now, please behave.", said Sam.

Tommy sat up and watched the barrier spring up, watched the lava stop dripping, watched the masked bastard stand still as the bridge carried him over. "Sam," called the man, "could you leave the barrier up, please? I'd feel more comfortable if it stayed."

"Of course. I'll still lower the lava, though, so you might have to stand a little close." Sam replied from across the gap. The curtain of molten fire dropped again, and then Tommy was alone with Dream again. At least this time, they were separated.

"So, Tommy," began Dream, "how have you been holding up in here? I imagine it must be boring." Dream leaned forward, elbows resting on the barrier with his palms supporting his chin. 

Tommy sighed. "Why're you here, Dream? To get a rise out of me again?" He asked as he sat on the ground, knees close to his face but elbows resting on top, hands dangling in front of him. "I thought you gloated enough already."

Dream chuckled. "Well, that's a part of it. But I've got a story for you, Tommy."

Without waiting for a response, he launched into speech. "Remember, back during the Manberg war? Not the L'manburg, one. Remember when Schlatt gave me a book that made me switch sides?"

"Get to the point, Dream."

"Of course. Schlatt gave me this book." Dream summoned a small hardcover tome with a wave of his hand. Browned leather and yellowed pages bound with a fraying. faded, muddy-colored white string. "Do you know what this book is, Tommy?"

"Obviously not." Tommy retorted, glancing at the book with carefully masked curiosity. Of course, he knew that Dream could probably see straight through his composure.

"This book," said the man, "gives me the power to resurrect people."

Tommy's blood ran cold. He froze, eyes widening. How did Schlatt get his hands on such a book? Why would he give it to Dream? Was such an ability even possible? 

~~_Could he bring Tubbo back?_ ~~

Tommy scrambled to his feet and lurched over to the barrier to get a better look at the book. To memorize all its details, catch a look at any words inside that he could see. Dream pulled it back as the boy leaped forward, making a little 'tut-tut' sound as if he were scolding a child.

"Ah-ah, Tommy," he said in a sing-song voice, "I'm not giving it to you."

"But-Dream, listen." Tommy leaned over the barrier. "Dream, can you revive Tubbo?" Desperation rang in the teen's voice, a kind of manic fire burned in his eyes.

"Can I revive Tubbo?," repeated the masked man, "Of course I can. I can perform all the rituals required, no sweat." Dream leaned forward over the barrier as well, still holding the book behind him. "Will I, though? That's a different question." he sneered.

"But you can, so tell me what it needs. I'll do it myself." The blonde replied with a stubbornness that was so unique to him, so _Tommy..._

Dream laughed. Not a chuckle, but a full-on laugh. Tommy watched, unamused. What could possibly be so funny? This was serious.

"I-what, you think I'm just gonna tell you how to do it? Are you serious right now?" Dream let out a signature breathless wheeze, leaning on the barrier for support. He unbuckled his mask and took it off to wipe a tear off his face. Seeing the shocked expression on his face, Dream sighed. "Don't be shocked, Tommy. You've already seen my face, so I don't really have to care about wearing this around you."

Tommy watched, horror in his eyes. Dream's smile faded into an unamused expression, lips pulled thin in a frown and a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'm not gonna revive Tubbo."

"What do you need to do it? I've got diamonds, gold, emeralds, I've-you can have all my netherite, I'll give you both the discs back, you can have it all, just tell me how to do it, please-" Tommy rambled, grabbing the green man's shoulders desperately. Dream's eyes met his silently.

"-I'll give you anything, you can take all of it, you can bring me back to Logstedshire if you want to, I'll stay there, I'll do anything, just please tell me how to do it-" Tommy had started to panic, the boy's chest heaving as he continued to think of what he could do. 

He realized how painfully similar the situation was to when he was in exile. All alone, no visitors, a prisoner of the masked man, and yet begging him for company...

"I'll blow up all my stuff again, I'll-I-what can I give you? What do you want in return?"

Dream had just continued to listen to the blonde. "I'm not going to tell you how to do it, Tommy. It requires a life, and you're only on one. Normally you can use a Totem of Undying, but you don't have one, do you." he conceded this information, waiting for Tommy's response.

Tommy didn't hesitate. "Take it then, you can have it! Take my last life and use it to bring him back! You're the admin, you can do it, just use it, _take it!"_

Tommy had begun to cry at this point, desperation and fear and guilt weighed heavy in his eyes and laced his voice. His brows furrowed and his nose was red as he sobbed. "Bring me my Tubbo back."

"No."

Tommy held his hand out across the barrier, fingers shaking as he ran the other through his tangled hair. He couldn't see it, but he was sure Dream could see his last life, flickering weakly and pulsing and floating above his calloused palm. 

"Take it and bring my Tubbo back-"

"Tommy, no."

"Just take it, Dream! Take it! Bring him back, please, he didn't deserve to die, and you can bring him back, Dream, _please, I need him-"_ Tommy's voice had reached a fever pitch as he strained to reach further across the barrier, trembling like a leaf. _"I don't want it anyway, just take it and bring him back, I'm begging you..."_

"TOMMY!" Dream's voice boomed. "I'm not going to bring Tubbo back."

Tommy didn't seem to hear him. The boy had sank to his knees, kneeling in front of the barrier while his arm remained outstretched, his other hand now pulling at his hair. "Dream, please, you've got to bring him back, I need him back, please Dream, it wasn't his time, he didn't deserve it, please just take it, take it, I don't want it anymore-"

At this point, the boy's voice was too choked up to utter words anymore. He simply cried wordlessly, mumbling as he stood up again and threw himself over the barrier. He grabbed at Dream's hands and tried to press his own into it, tried to uncurl Dream's fingers and press his life into it, to bid it goodbye-

Dream pulled his hand away from the blubbering child, slipping his mask on and pulling out his communicator. Tommy whined and reached further across the barrier, but Dream stepped just out of reach. He couldn't reach Dream, couldn't reach the book, couldn't reach Tubbo-

"I'm ready to go, Sam." Dream turned away from Tommy to face the lava. Tommy watched the lava stop dripping, watched as Dream moved further and further out of reach, further away...

Tommy collapsed against the barrier completely and sobbed, reaching out for a green-clad man that had long since left. The barrier dropped under his weight and Tommy's limp, shaking body fell to the floor, curled up in front of the lava. He reached out feebly, croaking noises emitting from his throat as he clawed for someone he couldn't reach.

Sam watched the boy shiver and sob on the ground from the cameras, horror evident in his eyes. Yes, he was the Warden, but he couldn't help but feel empathy for the poor boy. 

_What happened to this kid?_

<><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wondering how maple writes? I listens to a lot of hamilton.  
> ham is just all bangers tho, and anyone that disagrees can go suck it :]  
> /j
> 
> I almost lost this entire chapter, but I managed to get it back. I'll be much more careful with saving my work now.. :')
> 
> thanks for reading, have a great day <3


	5. Depression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fall begins, for real this time.
> 
> please read the author's note for trigger warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **⚠BIG TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER⚠**
> 
> **themes & mention of depression/suicidal ideation throughout this entire chapter. please do not read this chapter if these topics are triggering.**
> 
> **be safe.**
> 
> ALSO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DON'T SHIP ANYONE IN THIS FIC. EVERYTHING IS ENTIRELY PLATONIC, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT APPEAR DIFFERENTLY IN THIS CHAPTER. AGAIN, ALL PLATONIC!!

<><><><><><>

Dream hadn't come back after the last time. Tommy had waited every day, wrote in his book daily as he did before, doing the same four or five activities he always did. 

Sam came every now and then to restock his potatoes and water. Each time, he noticed that Tommy looked more tired and frail than the last visit. Sam had been meaning to ask Tommy what was going on, but he figured that it might just be because the grief was finally hitting him.

However, it had been a little over a month and a half since the incident in that cursed blackstone basement. The one that was so awfully, wretchedly similar to the prison that Tommy now resided in.

Tommy hadn't been sleeping. How could he, when every time he closed his eyes he could picture his dying best friend, his Tubbo, in his arms. Even after all this time he could still feel the wrinkled fabric of his shirt, he could feel the stone under him, could feel the warm red blood running down his arms and staining his clothes and he _couldn't get it off-_

He hadn't been sleeping. Only when his body collapsed from exhaustion did he finally allow himself to fall into a sleep full of nightmares. Because every time he closed his eyes, he could picture his dying best friend, could see the blood everywhere, could hear his cries mixed with his own screams.

Tommy hadn't been eating, either. He had no appetite, every time he picked up one of the potatoes he felt sick. His vision swam and his head spun and the potatoes felt like rocks, anyway. He usually threw them into the lava to keep them from rotting. He just couldn't bring himself to eat them, although he did sometimes. He did drink all the water, though.

Tommy couldn't understand Sam. It was strange to him, the way the creeper hybrid seemed content with watching him 24/7, as if that wasn't boring as hell. He wanted to ask Sam how the SMP was doing, how everyone was feeling in the wake of his absence.

He wondered if they even cared, or if they were celebrating his incarceration, or if they'd just moved on with their lives as before. He could picture Eret, sitting on their throne like nothing'd changed. He could picture Techno and Phil sitting across from each other in Techno's cabin, sipping tea and taking care of turtles and living on. He could picture Sapnap and George warming up to Dream again, because Dream was easily forgiven. Everything was so easy for him, and Tommy was the one to take the fall. He wondered if they even cared.

With this line of thought, Tommy realized something.

If he was stuck here, never to see the light of day again, to see no one ever again, was there even a point in living? If he continued to live, he'd rot in here until he was bones and dust. No one cared, and no one would ever care again.

<><><><><><>

Sam hadn't been to the prison in a while. He'd been stopping by every week or so to drop off Tommy's provisions, but he wasn't watching the cameras anymore. He didn't need to. 

The prison was silent, as always. The constant bubbling of the lava and whirring of the redstone mechanisms around him were the only sounds. The place was too quiet.

Sam stood on the bridge, slowly making his way over the gap. As he approached the barrier, the lava had drained out completely (there was no one on the other side to release the flow again), leaving the cell dark. He lit a torch and held it in one hand, the potatoes in the other.

The sight that welcomed Sam astonished him. The books he'd stocked in the cell had been torn apart, papers strewn all over the floor, crumpled in the corners, stuck to the walls. Chaotic, frantic scribbles of ink covered every square inch. 

With the dim torchlight, Sam could make out the words "TUBBO", "HELL", "FRIEND", "NOT ME" and most clearly, "DREAM". Some of the "DREAM"s had been scribbled out, others outlines by smaller writing that he couldn't read. Sam could see the word "KILLER" scratched into the paper, as well as a scribbled-out "NOT" tacked onto the front. Sam could also see hundreds of smiley-faces, similar to a certain green-clad man's mask. 

Sam lifted the torch a little higher and could see a figure huddled in the corner. It was Tommy, curled up with his knees to his chest. His arms covered his head, but he peeked out of the cracks. It was as if Tommy'd been hiding from the writings on the walls, and would've been funny had it not been so serious.

It was scary, how small the boy was, surrounded by balls of paper. The boy's hands were stained with dried ink. Smudges of the same black ink smudged his face, his clothes, his greasy hair that had been falling out from how hard he'd been tugging on it. His eyes had such deep, dark circles under them that Sam had been sure they were inkstains first as well.

Sam couldn't see much more details than that, but if he'd brought the light a little closer he could see the scratches that littered his arms and hands and face. He could've seen thin-line, white scars in similar places and new ones, gently dripping blood. If Sam'd brought the torch closer, he could see Tommy's eyes--dark, stormy gray, nothing like the ice-blue shade he'd had before. He could see how bloodshot they were, could see the boy's red nose and ears, could hear the soft gulping sounds he made as he tried desperately to breathe between his sobs.

Tommy simply stared back at Sam from his spot in the corner, unblinking, unmoving. He seemed like a porcelain doll, so lifelike and real. But those eyes were dead, the skin shattered.

Sam cleared his throat. "Uh, Tommy, I'm sorry that no one's come to visit you yet. I've been telling them that they can feel free to, but I heard that Dream told them that you'd tried to attack him during one of his visits. Is this true?"

Sam already knew the answer, he'd been watching through the cameras that day. He'd seen the exchange between Tommy and Dream, but hadn't heard the dialogue. The cameras didn't have sound.

Tommy didn't respond, just continued to stare. Sam elected to try again. "Tommy, you've gotta respond to my questions. If you're expecting people to visit you, you have to talk to them."

No response. Not a movement, not a sound.

"Toms." A heavier tone this time, although he tried the nickname that Phil had told him about. "Say something."

Sam didn't expect a response this time. He was right, there was nothing.

"Well, Tommy, until next time. I'll continue to check up on you routinely." Sam said, before turning away and leaving. Tommy's eyes followed his retreating figure, until the creeper hybrid disappeared from view.

Tommy's blank stare turned to the wall across from him. It was covered in similar scrawlings. However, the boy's eyes were glazed over, as if watching something that couldn't be seen.

The only thing he could see was the death of his best friend, the scene repeated over and over and over again in his head. Stuck on a loop, and he was forced to watch.

Tubbo's gone, and he's never coming back. Wilbur's dead, Ghostbur disappeared, Techno abandoned him, Phil neglected him. Fundy was scared of him and Niki hated him and no one was on his side anymore. Everyone left had either died or left him for something, someone better. He'd been forced to take the role as the hero, a child of sixteen years who had faced enemies hundreds of times and tasted death twice.

His thanks were a maximum-security cell for eternity and a concerning lack of sympathy.

He missed Wilbur. Missed his embrace, missed the hand that carded through his hair ever-so-gently, missed his smile, missed his voice. He missed his shouting and screaming and madness, he'd take back Wilbur in the height of his mania in a heartbeat.

He missed Tubbo. Missed the boy's smile, missed his eyes, his gentle nature, missed his laughter and his voice and his love for bees and his thoughts and whispers. He missed his heartbeat, in sync with his own because they were always in sync. They were the dynamic duo and partners in crime, one never without the other. They were like two twin suns, but one had faded long ago and the other was dying, cold and alone.

He missed Tubbo's shouting, his cries, his disappointment. He'd be willing to take back the Tubbo that exiled him, the Tubbo that screamed at him in the ruins of the Community House. He' d relive those moments for all eternity if it meant he could see him again.

Tommy loved them, and they were gone.

He rested his forehead on his arms, his arms on his knees and pulled them into his chest, curled up tight. He cried into his lap and his shoulders were wracked with sobs. Warm, salty tears streamed down his face as he didn't wipe them away, just continued to curl up tighter. He coughed and gasped for air and cried until he passed out, to fall from one nightmare into another.

It wouldn't matter when he woke up, because nothing would change.

<><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This chapter I especially struggled with, because I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go, and I think it might've ended up becoming pretty incoherent towards the end. I don't think this chapter was nearly as good as the last one, but let me know what you thought of it.
> 
> ALSO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DON'T SHIP ANYONE IN THIS FIC. EVERYTHING IS ENTIRELY PLATONIC, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE APPEARED DIFFERENTLY IN THIS CHAPTER. AGAIN, ALL PLATONIC
> 
> In other news, I've got some oneshots in the works coming in a few days (including the one suggested to me in my Suggestions work)! This fic is almost over but I'll have more stuff coming soon :]  
> If there's something specific you want to see, leave a comment on my Suggestions work and I'll check it out!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day <3


	6. Acceptance, pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two new people pay a visit this time.  
> tommy might be too far gone.
> 
> please check the author's note for trigger warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **⚠BIG TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER⚠**
> 
> **self-harm & scars resulting from self-harm starts at ""I've gone fucking mental, so just--"" and ends at ""...I fucking killed him. I killed him!""**
> 
> **violence and enraged behaviors, mention of panic attack**
> 
> **insanity & mention of suicidal thoughts, & suicidal ideation throughout the fic**
> 
> **cursing throughout the fic**
> 
> **hallucinations**
> 
> **stay safe.**

<><><><><><>

"...are coming over to visit you, please talk to them." Sam finished saying over the intercom as he moved over to operate the bridge. Two figures braved the ride over the gap.

The first was short and black-haired, with golden wings that seemed to glow in the light of the lava... as shriveled and crooked as they were. The second was extremely tall, with heterochromatic eyes full of regret. 

They stepped off the bridge and Sam released the lava again.

Tommy sat curled up in the same corner of the cell he was in earlier, knees to his chest. He held the clock in his hands and mumbled to himself, not seeming to notice that he had visitors.

An awkward silence enveloped the room. The taller one gave up on slouching his back and opted to sit down on the ground, while the winged one remained standing.

Tommy didn't recognize them. They looked familiar, but where had he met them before...?

The winged one cleared his throat before speaking. "Tommy, I'm not sure how to go about this," he said.

Tommy didn't react. Didn't shift, didn't look up, he just kept on looking at the clock.

"Tommy." The winged man tried again. "I-we're so sorry we haven't come to visit you yet. Sam told us that you haven't gotten any visitors other than Dream, he's been keeping us pretty busy too... there's a lot to catch you up on..."

"U-uh, yeah, um." A nervous agreement from the tall one. "I-I know we weren't really great friends, but I was pretty far away at Tec-I was um, far away. And I didn't get and news until a couple days ago." 

Nothing.

"Tommy, tell us if you don't want us here, alright? Dream told me that you were mad at everyone and you didn't want anyone to come, so just talk to us." The winged man said.

That seemed to get a reaction out of Tommy, who set the clock down and stood up. His joints cracked and muscles cried out, but he stumbled over to the support of the chest before speaking in a hoarse voice.

"Figures." The blonde combed a hand through his greasy hair, before returning it to his side. "Why are you here?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, as if unsure how to respond.

The tall one spoke up. "We're here because we wanted to talk to you. Dream told us that you killed Tubbo, but we wanted to hear your side of the story, Tommy." The tall boy seemed uncomfortable in the cramped obsidian cell, as his mismatched hands fiddled with the hem of his tuxedo jacket.

"Dream brought Tubbo's body to me and Fundy. He was definitely dead... I just want to know, _what happened in there,_ Tommy?..."

Tommy laughed, but it was a quiet, broken laugh. "What do you want me to say?"

The visitors looked nervous. The winged man spoke up again. "Tommy... just tell us what happened in there, man... We've gotta know, and I don't want to take Dream's word for it."

Tommy smiled. "What did Dream tell you, then? Let's hear it." There was an unhinged look in his eye, but his serene smile masked it.

"He, uh, he told us that he made you choose between Tubbo and the discs, and, well... he said he was gonna give 'em back, but then you...", said the tall one.

"And-you know, that kinda sounds like bullshit, I'm not gonna lie." The winged man laughed, his voice full of disbelief. "Tubbo was your best friend, so there's no way."

"We're here for you, pal. We understand that you couldn't have killed him, there's no fuckin' way." The winged one said. "I promise, we'll get you out of here. Sam didn't even hold a trial for you, so it's not fair. We need to hear your side of the story."

Tommy was silent. He stumbled back over to his corner and collapsed to the floor, leaning the back of his head against the wall and looking up at the ceiling before dropping his head again. His movements were erratic and the unstable gleam in his eyes grew.

Tommy laughed. "Who cares about a trial? No one else was there. Besides--"

The boy hunched his back and stared up at the two, a manic giggle rising in his voice. He smiled, but his brows were furrowed and his eyes watery. "Don't worry, Quackity, I killed Tubbo, I killed him, so you don't have to worry anymore. I'm in the right place."

The boy seemed to fall into a breakdown, as he pulled his knees to his chest. He laughed and sobbed at the same time; his shoulders shook as he rocked back and forth.

He remembered their names now. Quackity and Ranboo were finally here. But it was all for naught.

Quackity looked uncomfortable as the scar across his face contorted with his expressions. Ranboo looked scared but reached out for Tommy hesitantly.

Ranboo's hand brushed Tommy's shoulder. The latter seized violently, and Ranboo drew his hand back rapidly. Tommy collapsed onto his side, giggling and crying as he traced the patterns on the obsidian floor with one hand.

"I killed him, Quackity! I took Dream's sword and I stabbed him. I did it, I killed him, he said he wanted to die and so I killed him, I did it for him! Everything was for him, Dream was right, I killed him, I killed him, I killed him--"

His sobs turned to hacking coughs. He ran one hand through his hair, tugging and ripping at the strands until Quackity was on him, pulling his hand away from his head. Tommy's smile turned to a frown as he tore his arm out of Quackity's grip.

"Isn't that what Dream told you?" The boy raised one arm and pointed just above Quackity's shoulder, at the edge of the cell where the lava was. "He's right there, you can ask him. I see him in here all the time, but he never says anything. He stopped talking to me after I shouted at him."

Both Quackity and Ranboo turned around, half-expecting the green man to suddenly be there. "Tommy...," Ranboo began,

"...there's no one there, Tommy..." Quackity finished his companion's sentence. Both Quackity and Ranboo turned to look at Tommy again, their eyes full of pain.

Tommy laughed. A full-on wheeze, almost like his usual ones. But it was full of mirth, and his eyes were full of contempt. "Of course he's not there. I'm insane, Quackity. Don't look at me with those eyes full of pity, I don't want your fucking pity. I've gone fuckin' mental, so just-"

He clawed at his neck, scratching away at the peeling, dry skin. The sleeves of his uniform rode up, revealing long, peeling scars on his forearms. Ranboo could assume that the scars continued up the rest of his arms too.

Ranboo tried to pull Tommy's hands away, but the boy fought this time, before Ranboo gave up and stepped back again. "Tommy...", he said.

Quackity's eyes were full of rage as his face contorted into a snarl. "So that's it, Tommy?! You killed him, and you-you-you're just gonna... Tommy, what's WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Tommy paused from scratching at his skin to look up at Quackity with a bored expression. "Yes, big man, I fucking killed him. I killed him!"

Ranboo was crying, silent, pleading tears. "Tommy, what... I-I don't even know what to say..." The Enderman's voice was thick and shaking with emotion as he backed away from Tommy. Various, garbled Enderman noises fell from his lips as he stepped away to calm his breathing. His eyes were full of fear.

Quackity's eyes were still on Tommy. "IS THAT IT? YOU KILLED HIM, AND THAT'S JUST IT?!"

Quackity marched over to Tommy and grabbed the lapel of his uniform, hoisting him to a standing position roughly and pushing him against the wall. The taller boy simply stared down at Quackity, who was struggling to suppress his rage.

Quackity's golden wings puffed up and flared out as wide as their broken, shriveled forms could allow. The action seemed to cause him physical pain as he let go of Tommy's shirt and collapsed to his knees. A string of curses fell out of his mouth as he took a moment to recover.

Tommy straightened the collar of his uniform and went back to sit on the chest again. The only sound in the room was Quackity's labored breaths, the bubble of the lava, and the little, taunting, tick-tock of the clock on the wall.

Quackity stumbled over to the clock and, hissing, ripped it off the wall and threw it past Ranboo. Ranboo flinched away from the object. It smashed into the wall, but some of the pieces bounced into the lava.

Quackity returned his murderous gaze to Tommy, who suddenly hopped off the chest. He returned to the center of the wall; arms spread out wide in a gloating gesture. He smiled.

"Quackity, kill me."

<><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "oh? what's this? a cliffhanger?!!!??! maple, how could you?!"
> 
> I decided to split this chapter into two parts, so the story will continue a little longer than expected. That being said, it will be ending very soon.


	7. Acceptance, pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the end has arrived.
> 
> this time, please please please read the author's note for trigger warnings. it is extremely important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **⚠BIG TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER⚠**
> 
> **violence**
> 
> **yelling**
> 
> **cursing**
> 
> **hallucinations**
> 
> **discussion of suicidal intentions/ideations**
> 
> **gore/blood**
> 
> **panic attacks**
> 
> **reactions to death/grief**
> 
> **this entire chapter is pretty tough and contains many triggers, so I won't put specific word ranges like I did before. If you are triggered by any of those above, please do not read this chapter!**
> 
> **stay safe.**

<><><><><><>  
"Quackity, kill me."

Quackity's fiery gaze froze over as soon as the words were uttered. Even his pain seemed to cease as the man was frozen where he half stood, half knelt on the marble-smooth floor.

Ranboo had turned away from Tommy, but his head swiveled slowly as he looked up at the boy; horror evident in his eyes.

Quackity's face seemed to be frozen in a disbelieving smile. He laughed with a voice full of denial, a crazy twinkle in his eye as he met Tommy's gaze. "You want me to do what?"

Tommy half-lowered his arms, the smile on his face replaced by an unamused frown. "I want you to kill me, Quackity. I wanna die."

Quackity laughed again, this time with more energy. "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, what're you saying? You w-y--"

Ranboo interjected so Quackity could collect his thoughts.  
Currently he could tell that the winged man was still in pain, but now a much larger weight had been dropped on his shoulders.

"Tommy, we can't do that. We're not go-we're not gonna do that, Tommy, just think about this for a sec." Ranboo fidgeted with the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket.

"Kill me. I know you can't do it, Ranboo, you're too weak. But Quackity, he can do it! Quackity, just kill me!"

Quackity's eyes flooded with horror. He just couldn't comprehend the boy's request. "Tommy, I can't-I can't do that, Tommy, you don't understand... I can't do that, 'cause Sam would kill me, and I don't wanna kill you anyway!"

"Kill me, Quackity. Do it. Push me into the lava, or drown me, or slit my throat with a quill, I don't care, just do it."

Quackity surged forward and grabbed Tommy's collar again, yanking him towards his face and hissing. "I'm not gonna kill you, Tommy, so stop asking."

Tommy's face melted into a bored expression. "Do it...," he said as he smiled wide, teeth bared, "..unless you're too chicken."

Quackity shoved him against the wall, face contorting in pure rage. His hands gripped tighter, cutting off the boy's airflow as he slammed him against the wall again and again--

A hand on his shoulder. Quackity froze and turned to see Ranboo, eyes streaming with tears. He mouthed words in English and warbled cries in Ender spilled out, but Quackity got the message. 

He pushed Tommy one final time as he let go of his lapels.  
"You're right, we should leave." Quackity said as he went with Ranboo to the mouth of the cell. He gave Sam the go-ahead to bring them back over his communicator.

As the lava stopped and the bridge inched closer to the cell, Tommy suddenly cried out. The boy's teeth chattered, and his hands shook, body tremoring in fear as he watched the lone figure cross the bridge.

_"DREAM!!"_

Neither Quackity nor Ranboo dignified this with a response, although both their eyes flicked to the bridge. There wasn't anyone on it.

The two stepped onto the bridge, and 'Dream' stepped off the bridge, and Quackity and Ranboo were gone and the lava flowed back down again, and he was alone with 'Dream'.

Tommy tried to scramble away from 'Dream', but his back was already against the wall. His eyes squeezed shut as he screamed. "GO AWAY! YOU'RE JUST A HALLUCINATION, YOU'RE NOT-NOT--"

He curled up with his knees to his chest, hugging them so closely he seemed to disappear into the floor. "YOU'RE NOT REAL! It's just a-he's a fake, he's not real, he's not, he's not, he's not! HE'S NOT REAL!"

But a very real hand grabbed his right wrist, and a very real hand pulled on his arm so hard that it popped out of its socket, and a very real man watched with keen interest as Tommy cried out in pain. Watched as he collapsed to his knees, watched as he sobbed from pain and anguish.

Tommy's arm was limp in front of him, left hand gripping his shoulder in an attempt to ease the pain somehow. His throat seized and it felt like he was trying to hack up his lungs, and he couldn't breathe--

Eyes swirling with confusion and emotion stared up at the empty sockets of the man's mask, and widened with fear as a cold, sharp metal object made contact with the side of his neck. It rested there, barely grazing his skin; but the enchantments made it burn like hellfire. A thin trail of blood trickled down the side of his neck as time came to a standstill.

<><><><><><>

_I toast to an imaginary companion and down an entire bottle of invisibility potion in one go. It tastes like lavender and something else I can't put into words, something septic and clean._

_With that out of the way, entering that Warden's prison is child's play. I tag along behind Quackity and Ranboo--_

_~~Ranboo, it'll be your turn soon...~~_

_\--and we follow the steps to enter the main cell. I don't go in with them, as they deserve their privacy with Tommy._

_My sweet, little Tommy. My lovely trophy. The thoughts that race through my head excite me; and yet I feel sick._

_I am sick; that I know. I'm doing it for my family. Everything I do is for them, so we can be together forever..._

_My turn has arrived. The bridge starts moving and I barely jump onto it before it departs. As I hover over the lava, I am surprised that Tommy can see me. I look down at my hands to make sure the invisibility is still effective._

_He must be hallucinating. What a lucky guess._

_My eyes narrow as I pass by Quackity and Ranboo. The lava falls down, and the barrier drops, and that honey-smooth silver potion wears off._

_I stand in front of an empty cell. Well, mostly empty... save for my lovely Tommy, curled up in the corner. He's shouting and crying and whispering to himself._

_I grab his arm and yank him up, hiding in the corner is no way to treat a guest. I mean to chastise him, to say I've come so far to see him and yet-oh-_

_.......his arm wasn't on purpose; I swear on Prime. No matter.  
I heard you wanted to die, Tommy._

_I rest my sword against his neck and time comes to a standstill._

<><><><><><>

_I heard you wanted to die, Tommy. I heard you shouting from outside._

_Frankly, I'm a little disappointed. I'm not gonna lie. I wanted to do an experiment and see if I could mold you into someone like me.  
I mean, you're already so much like me. Rather, you're like who I used to be. But I wanted to see if I could reshape you..._

_I guess you were just too weak, Tommy. You couldn't handle a little pressure, and now you're.. reduced to this sniveling mess._

_I've indulged in your desires since the beginning. You wanted to have some fun, so we started the Disc War. You wanted a country, so we started the fight for L'manburg. You wanted to undermine my authority, so I corrected that._

_And now, you're in such a pathetic state that I can't bear to look at you. Get up._

_Come on, Tommy. You’re no fun anymore…_

_My lovely trophy, my little Tommy, I so want to see every emotion on your face… happiness, heartbreak, everything. I want to see you suffer. I want to see you crumble into dust and piece yourself together again, bit by bit._

_I want to watch you as you are Sisyphus, doomed to roll the cursed boulder up to the heavens for it to be knocked down to the hellish earth…_

_I want to watch you as you are Tantalus, the poor fool who danced with death and paid the price with his eternal soul…_

_I want to watch you as you are the great Titan Prometheus, left to die and be feasted on by wretched vultures, watch your remains ripped out of you and healed through the night to be torn away tomorrow!_

_But you’ve gotten all mushy. And now your brother is dead, and your Tubbo is dead, and your home is gone, and your father continues to live as if nothing has changed, and suddenly you think there’s no point in living anymore--_

_But you know, you might be right. There really isn’t a point in living… I figured that out long ago._

_I suppose this is the end of Wilbur’s unfinished symphony, forever unfinished…_

_…for it was never meant to be._

__

_< ><><><><><>_

Time speeds up again. Tommy is suddenly very aware of the cool, burning metal against his skin; and yet, he doesn't feel it.

It feels like he's underwater. He closes his eyes and allows himself to succumb to its touch, even presses his skin further into the blade, and _waits_ for the darkness to overtake him...

He supposes it's the small mercies that count as Dream finishes the job. The masked man wipes the blade clean before turning away from his bleeding-out corpse.

His head drops to the floor with a dull thump. He smiles serenely, and darkness gives way to light--

<><><><><><>

__

The repercussions are enormous. The death message shows on everyone's communicator, Dream doesn't even try to hide his name on the screen.

__

Everyone stops and stares, some in horror; others in excitement; a few in solemn thought. Two young people rejoice; a tall, thin one sobs and screams in some other tongue; a short, scarred one yells in fury and regret; a winged one frowns. A crowned king buries their head in his hands and weeps; the one with the library crumples to the ground, unconscious--

__

The masked one lifts up the sword, point to his chest, and plunges it into his long-dead heart--

____

_and elsewhere, two spirits collide in sheer, unbridled joy; reunited at last._

__

<><><><><><>

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this series! I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the ending, and I hope that you stick around for my director's cuts coming sometimes next week!
> 
> as always, leave your thoughts in the comments! I love reading and responding to everything, don't be shy :]
> 
> have a great day <3


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